Automobile disappearing warning signal



Julie-14,1949. .6. s. ZELK 2,473,187

AUTOMOBILE DISAPPEARING WARNING SIGNAL Filed Feb. 1'7, 1947 2 snets-sheet'z- INVENTOR. v GEORGE 5. ZE 1 ATTORNEY Patented June 14, 194

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE DISAPPEARING WARNING SIGNAL 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a disappearing warning signal.

The object of this invention is to provide a disappearing warning signal for a police automobiie or other vehicles which signal is adapted appear against the rear window whenever it is desirable or necessary, and flash red light therethrough, but which signal does not obstruct said rear window during the normal operation of the automobile.

Another object of this invention is to provide a signal of the type described which is installed inside of an automobile near the rear window thereof and has the lamps normally in down- Ward position, and which is adapted to swing said lamps upwardly so that the latter take the position opposite said window and thereupon begin to flash an intermittent red light through said window.

Stillanother object of this invention is to provide a signal of the type described in which the beams of light emitted by the lamps are so directed as to be visible by the vehicles approaching the signal from the rear at any angle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction, easy to operate, durable and eflicient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the particular features of the invention will be specifically pointed out in appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the device in operating position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device in operating position showing the location thereof in an automobile.

Fig. 3 is an electric wiring diagram showing the operation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal cross-section of the device showing some part in section; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the device taken along the line 5-5 of the Fig. 4.

In detail, my device consists of an operating izzechanisrn l and two lamps 2 and 3 carried by a shaft 4 passing through said mechanism.

The mechanism l is enclosed in a container 6 consisting of a casing l and a cover 8. The casing i includes a 'fiat rectangular bottom 9 and end walls l l and I2 integral with said bottom and rising therefrom at a right angle thereto. The upper ends of said walls are rounded as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The casing I is closed by the cover 8 preferably made out of sheet metal. The cover 8 extends from one side of the bottom 9 to the other and follows the configuration of the end walls H and I2, to which said cover is attached by set screws [6.

The operating mechanism l enclosed in said container 3 includes the shaft 4 journalled in the bearings l'l carried by the end walls II and E2. The shaft ii carries a pulley l8 affixed thereto near the end wall l2. The pulley l8 has a cable 19 resting in the groove 2! therein and attached to said pulley by a bolt or screw 22. One end of said cable is attached to a spring 23 which in turn is attached to the bottom 9. The other end of said cable passes over an idle pulley 2A and is attached to a core 26 of an operating electromagnet 21. The core 26 is provided with a collar 28 at the end thereof, the outer edge of which collar is bevelled toward the electromagnet 21.

The core 26 is held in contracted position by a core 29 of a releasing electromagnet 3|. The core 29 is yieldingly pressed by a spring 32 to the left looking at the Fig. 5. This movement is limited by a pin 33 carried by said core 29 and sliding in a slot 34 of a guide bracket 36 attached to said electromagnet 3|. The core 29 has an outwardly bevelled end 31 which projects certain distance away from said bracket 36 and into the path of travel of the collar 28, thereby holding the core 23 in the retracted position as shown in Fig. 4. When the core 29 is withdrawn inwardly by the action of the releasing electromagnet 3|, the spring 23 pulls the end of the cable I9 downwardly and rotates the pulley in a clockwise direction looking at the Fig. 5. This rotation is stopped by a pin 38 attached to the pulley l8, when said pin hits a stop 39 secured to the end wall l2. When the shaft 4 is in the latter position, the lamps 2 and 3 take upward position shown in Fig. 2 in full lines.

When the operating electromagnet 21 is energized, the core 26 is pulled inwardly, whereby the bevelled side of the collar 28 strikes the bevelled end of the core 29, thus forcing the latter to spring back and to pass said collar beyond said core 29. The inward movement of the core 26 pulls the cable l9 and by means of the pulley l8 rotates the shaft 4 in a counterclockwise direction to a position shown in Fig. 5 whereby the lamps 2 and 3 take the downward position shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines.

The shaft 4 also carries attached thereto a wheel 48 preferably made of insulating material. The wheel 40 is provided with a metal strip 4| imbedded in the periphery thereof. A sliding contact 42 is attached to the end wall II and is arranged to slide over the periphery of said wheel 40. When the shaft 4 is in the position shown in the Fig. 5, the sliding contact 42 rests on the wheel 40 outside said strip 4|. When the shaft 4 is rotated 90 as above described, the sliding contact 42 rests on the strip 4|. The latter is connected to an electric cable carried inside of the shaft 4 the ends of which cable are connected to the lamps 2 and 3 fixedly attached to the shaft 4 by means of supports 44. The sliding contact 42 is connected to an insulatedmost 45 which in turn is connected by means of a cable 46 to a source of electric power, such-:as a battery 41.

The device is attached in's'ide of an automobile near the rear window 50, between the latter and the rear seat 5|. Normally the lamps 2 and 3 are in downward position as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, and for that reason do'not obstruct the rear window leaving the driver clear unimpeded view 'rearwardly through a mirror usually attachedinside ofthe automobile t'o,"or near, the windshield.

The driver of the automobile desiring to raise the lamps and put the same'in operation, "presses a releasing switch 52 wherebythe releasing electromagnet 3| is energized. The core 29 moves inwardly, thuspermitting the core 26 to move outwardly. The spring 23 .pulls the cable l9, rotates the shaft 4 until 'the,;pin 38 strikes the "stop 39 and thereby brings thelamps in operating position as shown in Fig. 2 in solid lines. At this moment the sliding contact 42 rests on "the strip 4| thus sending electric current fromthe battery 47 to'some standard flashing mechanism 53 and therefrom to the sliding contact-'42, strip, cable 43 and the lamps 2 and'3. The'latter'immediately start to flash, preferably red light. The lenses 1 54 and 5B are arranged to disperse the *light along the vertical and horizontal planes so as to be visible to all vehicles which may approach said automobile from the rear under anycon'dition.

When the signal is not needed any more, the-- driver presses an actuating switch 54, thereby energizing the operating electromagnet 21. "The latter pulls the core '26 in, and'with'it' the cable I9. The latter rotates thepulley l8 and the shaft and passes beyond said'e'nd. Thelatter imme-- 5 diately snaps back into-its normal position, thus blocking the way for the collar 28 and the core 26 for forward movement after the switch 54 is released and the action of the electromagnet 21 ceases, thus leaving said cable under the tension of the spring 23. The signal is again ready for operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Adisappearing warning signal adapted to be installed inside of an automobile near the rear Window thereof, comprising a pair of lamps and means for raising and lowering said lamps, said means including a shaft which carries the lamps,

position.

2. A disappearing warning signal adapted to I emit light through the rear window of a vehicle,

comprising a plurality of lamps attached to a shaft, means for rotating said shaft so as to raise said lamps in front of said rear window or to lower the same so as to make invisible from outside of the Vehicle.

3. A disappearing warning signal adapted to emit light through the rear window of a motor vehicle comprising a plurality of lamps, said lamps being adapted to rest normally in a position invisible from outside of said vehicle; said lamps, being carried by a shaft; and means for rotating said shaft so as to raise said lamps in front of said rear window; means for bringing the-same in their normal position, and means for sending intermittent light signals.

7 4.- A disappearing warning signal adapted to emit light through the rear window of a motor vehicle comprising a plurality of lamps, said lamps being adapted to rest normally in a position invisible from outside of said vehicle; said lamps being carried by a common shaft; aspring operatively connected with said shaft for;rotating "the 832116130 raise said lamps in front of said rear window; electromagnetic means for lowering said lamps to their normal position.

GEORGE S. ZELK.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the hie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date "1,106,134 Cowgill Aug. 4, 1914 1,251,940 Ulch Jan. 1, 1912 "1,370,674 Smith Mar. 8, 1926 1,832,675 Weis Nov. 17, 1931 2,190,124 Rudolph Feb. 13', 194i) 

